April 2019

The Network Neutrality Battle Is About Common Carriage Functionality

Why is it important whether broadband internet access service (BIAS) is considered a common carriage service or not? Because if BIAS is a common carriage service, then BIAS providers bear the fundamental obligations of common carriers.  These common carriage obligations are:

April 22-26, 2019
Weekly Digest

Gigabit Gains Popularity with American Consumers

A recent Morning Consult survey reports that over half of Americans today (55 percent) say they are interested in subscribing to gigabit speed internet service. The same survey asked consumers about the attributes they see important for future internet services, and perhaps not surprisingly, speed and security rose to the top. Eight-six percent of those surveyed said “unparalleled speed” was critical while 89 percent said that greater encryption, privacy and protection is necessary in broadband internet to keep their information and online activity safe online. 

Interoperability = Privacy + Competition

As Congress and other relevant stakeholders debate how to protect Americans’ privacy, a key concern is making sure that new legislation doesn’t entrench the power of big tech incumbents. In this post, we argue that incorporating data interoperability into privacy legislation is essential to empowering consumers’ data rights and fostering a competitive marketplace. In a nutshell, interoperability means enabling different systems and organizations to communicate with each other and work together.

Facebook bans personality quizzes after Cambridge Analytica scandal

Facebook is banning personality quiz apps, which have for years been able to collect and store a great deal of information about their users. The ban comes a year after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where it came out that the data firm had acquired information on up to 87 million people through the quiz app “thisisyourdigitallife.”

T-Mobile Sprint Merger Opposition: Broadband Associations, Others Say It Will Harm Rural Areas

Two dozen entities, including several broadband associations, are stepping up their T-Mobile Sprint merger opposition, sending a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and to a Department of Justice official arguing that the proposed merger would harm rural areas and reduce wireless competition. Most of the entities signing the letter to the FCC and DOJ are in the 4Competition Coalition, an alliance formed to oppose the merger.